Monday, December 3, 2012

Hampi & Badami; The Deccan Delights, Part I

The
bus shakes and rattles like a child's plaything. With every jerk,
the old springs underneath the bus, keep squeaking and creaking
loudly, perhaps complaining about the cruel treatment given by the
potholed road. The left side windows are all draped with heavy cotton
curtains, to block any sun light piercing through. Even then, an odd
quiver or shudder of the bus, makes the drapes dance wildly for a
moment, allowing a brilliant yellow ray of light to shoot through
and scorch my bare arms. The weather is pleasant and cool. Yet the
rays of the sun hit my arms like a flare. I look out through the
uncovered window on my right. I see unending acres of sugar cane,
jawar and cotton fields roll on. I close my eyes for an instant. I
realize that the the bus now taking a sharp left turn, suddenly comes
to a stop. It seems we have arrived at Hampi.

Rocky Mountain

I get
down from the bus and look around. The fertile fields have all
disappeared as if by magic. What I see in the front, is incredible.
In every direction, huge heaps of granite and sandstone stones and
rocks of every imaginable and conceivable shape, lie scattered around
on hilltops, vales or are heaped everywhere on top of each other in
what look like to be the most precarious arrangements. It is
difficult to even imagine how this scenario was ever created. Only
explanation that I can think of is a major volcanic eruption billions
of years ago, wherein the hot lava was thrown up in the sky to a
great height. The hot lava solidified into stones while coming down
and settled everywhere. My Deccan safari has just began at Hampi
with the stones.

The
history of any country in the world or region is always shaped by the
geography of that region, human nature being same everywhere. In
China, mighty empires of Qin, Han and Ming dynasties, faced periodic
ravage and destruction from the north-westerly nomadic tribes of the
Central Asian steppe region. The ancient Chinese history is shaped by
these invasions. India is no exception. Ancient and medieval history
of India also speaks of continuous aggressions from North-West.

Geographically
speaking, Indian peninsula can be divided into four distinct regions.
Himalayan mountainous region of far north, fertile flats of North and
North-West India of Indus-Ganga river basins, central plateau region
of Godawari-Krishna river basins and the tropical southern India. Out
of these four regions, the entire Himalayan region, because of its
extreme weather, was not really suitable for habitation and not many
settlers came in except in the vale of Kashmir. Continuous foreign
invasions took place over the Indus and Ganga river valleys or
basins. The entire history of Indian sub continent is so closely
associated with these invasions in northern plains, that the history
of Deccan plateau region in the doab between Krishna and Godavari
rivers is mostly neglected by most of the historians. We can learn
from historical accounts that even this region was continuously
subjected to foreign invasions. However this region saw many risings
of local powers even up to 16th
century CE, who had established their empires in the Deccan. These
empires resisted effectively the Shaka ( Scythian) and later the
Muslim invaders. As a result, no foreign rule could be established
over complete Deccan region even up to 16th
century CE, and the states in south India always remained insulated
or isolated from Muslim invaders from north and Hindu culture
prospered in South India. It can also be said that the local kingdoms
of the Deccan plateau, blocked the process of Islamization of India,
and it could never recover again.

The
oldest known indigenous empire of the Deccan was established by
Satavahana kings after demise of Emperor Ashoka in 3rd
century BCE. However parts of this empire were soon captured by Shaka
(Scythian) invaders sometime in first century BCE. The mighty king
Goutamiputra from this dynasty liberated most of the areas of Deccan
from foreign invaders around 78 CE and limited rule of foreign
invaders only to west of his empire in Malwa, Gujrat and Kathiawad
regions where kings of Shaka, Pahelavi and Greek origins continued to
rule. Satvahana kings were followed by Chalukya, Rashtrakut and
Yadav dynasties, who ruled over the Deccan. In the year 1294, Delhi
Sultan Allauddin Khilji defeated Yadav kings and Muslim power was
established over Deccan for the first time. In the year 1347,
Bahmani empire was established in the Deccan and there were clear
signs that Islamization of the Deccan would now be complete.

Two
Hindu Kings, Harihar and Bukka from Sangma dynasty, established a
Hindu kingdom on the bank of river Tungbhadra in the year 1336 and
managed to block the spread of Islamic rule for next 200 years very
effectively. The process of Islamization of India, which got blocked
with establishment of Vijayanagara empire was eventually stopped for
ever and even when Islamic rule of local Sultans was established 200
years later, with defeat of Vijayanagara army by combined armies of
five Islamic kingdoms, it could not regain any momentum. Both these
events therefore have great historic importance.

The
traces of the indigenous empires of the Deccan are still found all
over the region. In Maharashtra, such traces are found at Ajanta,
Ellora and Doulatabad fort near Aurangabad city. However the region
that could be considered as the most important from this historical
point of view happens to be the Gadag, Bagalkote and Vijapur
Districts of the state of Karnataka. The real glory of these empires
of the Deccan can be witnessed still, only in these regions. That is
why I have decided to start my safari of the Deccan, from Hampi.

The
empire of Vijayanagara was in existence for more than 200 years and
during this period it was considered as the most powerful and wealthy
state. In 1565, after defeat of Vijayanagara army, the enemy armies
totally destroyed the beautiful capital of Vijayanagara empire at
Hampi. This destruction went on for a period that extended for more
than 6 months. Only ruins of this once beautiful metropolis now
remain. Even then, it is easy to find the traces and the signs of
original affluence and wealth at many places in the ruins. Hampi
ruins are spread over 26 square Km, but the most important ruins are
seen only at 3 places, which are near about. It is therefore easily
possible to see Hampi on foot, without much trouble.

After
alighting from the bus, I am on my way to a section of ruins towards
north, which have mostly temple ruins. I can see ahead of me 3 or 4
small structures, which appear to have a very special kind of
construction. On a plinth built from granite stone blocks, number of
vertical pillars stand up. Huge granite stone slabs seem to rest on
these pillars creating a sort of a ceiling. Almost all the structures
in Hampi that still stand, have a similar construction. I can see a
structure bit higher up on the hill slope, which contains a huge
stone idol. I walk towards the structure and immediately realize that
this structure was a temple of an elephant Hindu God, Lord Ganesha.
As per Hindu religious beliefs, any new undertaking succeeds surely,
if begun with invocation to Lord Ganesha. I start my Hampi
wanderings with a visit to a Ganesha temple.

Sasivekalu Ganesha

This
Ganesha idol, about 8 feet tall, is called Sasivekalu Ganesha and has
been sculptured from a single granite rock. In the local Kannada
language, word Sasivekalu means a mustard seed. It is said that this
idol has a stomach, shaped like a mustard seed and hence the name. A
cobra snake is seen sculptured around the waist. This Ganesha idol is
supposed to have eaten too much food and was scared that his stomach
may now burst, so he tied a Cobra around his tummy.

Cobra snake tied on tummy

Side view of Lord Ganesha

Rear view, Ganesha sits in the lap of mother Goddess Parvati

I just
go around the sculptured idol. Hindu mythology tells that Ganesha was
originally a shepherd. That is why we can see a stick and a lasso in
his hands of this idol. From the other side, this Ganesha idol looks
very much like a woman in sitting position with hair tied up in a
knot. What this sculpture actually is trying to depict is Lord
Ganesha's mother “Parvati” sitting with her gigantic child in
her lap. Perhaps the sculptor of this idol is trying to tell us the
fundamental truth, that for any mother, her son, even if he is very
famous and powerful, is always a small child in her mind. I leave
the Ganesh temple and start walking further towards north, greatly
appreciating in my mind, the flight of fancy of the sculptor.